Sinister Desires
by Sheryl Lee Zyan
Summary: Cunning, witty Saphir is challenged by Demando's blind trust in Wiseman. The Dark Moon Clan knows not of his past or who he is, yet they decide to gain knowledge from him. Saphir must spy on Wiseman and save ni-san from his deceiving clutches without Wiseman finding out his plans.
1. Saphir's Suspicion

Saphir haunted the hallways of Nemesis, ghostly drifting in the shadows. It was dark, like most evenings in Nemesis. There were no stars to light his path. Slick crystal walls dully illuminated the milky whiteness of his face and shadowed the sapphire blue hair for what he was named for. Weary cornflower blue eyes fixated itself to the gray stone weakly imitating the marble of earth_. The cool white marble of earth_, he thought_, the favored stone of Neo Queen Serenity._

Saphir furrowed his brows and lowered his head in frustration. Demando has been gazing at her image for hours in that large and lonely throne room of his. The direction of his eyes never moved from the holographic screen that portrayed the lovely Serenity. He was still absentmindedly sitting in that cold chair with his legs crossed gawking at her last time Saphir checked.

The only things that could be heard was the desolate sound of Spahir's own tentative footsteps echoing down the hall. _That Sailor Moon, that Queen Serenity...if only ni-san's sick obsession would be directed toward saving Nemesis. He knows Nemesis loves him, but does Serenity? Foolish Demando blinded by his own ignorance. _Although Saphir admonished such ludicrous acts, he vowed himself to aid his beloved ni-san.

Thinking about his ni-san sent a warm shuddering throughout his body. Saphir didn't notice how cold he was, or how much his hands hurt. Looking down, they were rolled in a tight ball. Slowly, he rubbed feeling back from his numb hands from clutching them together too tightly.

And why did Demando act such a way? He didn't know. Perhaps it was Serenity's raw beauty. His brother's favorite color had always been white, a pure color that matched Serenity's radiant personality almost too perfectly. While Saphir himself prefers a dark navy, he never criticized hisbrother's thinking, until now.

More like it, until Wiseman showed up.

Saphir looked up now. There was another pair of footsteps behind him. Hurried footsteps. His gloved hands tensed and vanished from sight, but his stony presence lingered. He was curious, in a way, to see who would dare be up this late, wandering in _his_ corridors. Who would sound rushed, as if running away? Running away from who? _From what?_

Against his better judgment, he decided against himself to reappear and stop him.

His Navy Blue jacket and hair blended in with the dark atmosphere and lighting. What gave him away was the blueness of his eyes, like a flash of endless azure of the summer sky in late night darkness. Before he could open his mouth, he caught a glimpse of a matching pair of lavender flowers widening in surprise before the figure crashed into his body. Saphir let out a dog like yelp as his head smashed against the gray marble ground.

He let out a groan and felt the swelling bump on the back of his head. Besides the constant ringing in his ears, Saphir could hear someone tall and large was stumbling to get up. He had a feeling who it was.

"Saphir, what are you doing here?" There was a slight edge to Demando's voice.

Saphir slowly roused himself.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, ni-san." The crash had left stars dancing in his eyes. The dull ache on his head grew into a burning fire, and his hears roared. Demando paid more attention to the dust on his clothes than the welt on Saphir's head.

"Saphir, if you're going to be standing here aimlessly all night, you might as well go check on the black crystal. I assume it's going well?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Good. Now go." Before Saphir vanished, he saw Demando, with a faraway look on his face, mutter one word on his lips.

Wiseman.


	2. The Earrings

_I should've known. Should've known it was Wiseman doing all of this. He gives me shudders, cold shudders._

_ It's hard to believe Wiseman had killed Esmeraude under our nose. As much as I despise her, he has no right to do such a thing to a high member of the Dark Moon Clan. And if he can kill Esmeraude so easily, who knows what he can do to Prince Demando._

Saphir drunkenly staggered his way to the control room where the black crystal hung from the ceiling, absorbing energy. His head was throbbing, but he would take care of that later. More importantly, Saphir knew checking on the black crystal was an excuse to get rid of him.

He appeared before a dazzling spectrum of color. Underneath a glaze of darkness, colors twisted and knotted into a frightening beautiful display. Saphir paid no mind to the fascinating crystal before him. He reached out a gloved hand over a block of gray marble. It responded to his command and rose out of the ground. The marble split into several pieces, reveling a transparent blue card. He snatched it out of the air and glared at it.

"It's working perfectly."

_If only the Sailor Senshi wasn't there to stop us every time. They killed Rebus, my friend, and foiled Esmeraude's plans. We have underestimated humans of earth._

A wave of blind rage fluttered inside his chest. Saphir's azure blue eyes squinted. They became steely and bitter. He clenched his fist around the card.

_I need to do something. What am I doing, wandering the hallways like a ghost? I'm a prince, I have power. I will construct several droids to kill them for me, ones that will attack essential areas._

Saphir disappeared, and appeared in his chambers. His footsteps echoed in the cold dark room. He had a new spring in his step as he strode toward the table infested with notes and documents of the mind, brain, and body. Several books of the study of psychology that his numerous tutors and trainers had given him lay sprawled across the floor. Books on doctoring, biology, study of the human mind, everything that came to constructing droids spilled off his table. Nibs of pencils and dead pens lay underneath his desk.

He took one look at the mess and instantly knew what he had to look for.

"I will need to attack the areas of the body, the heart, lungs, and brain. If I can kill one of those organs, then it's good bye sailor senshi. No fancy method or strange powers, one hit is all it takes..

As Saphir scurried around his desk, flipping books open and scribbling unreadable notes. He snatched up a large file of paper. To his bewilderment, a crimson hand print stained the light tan of the file. Catching him by surprise, Saphir gasped and dropped the file. It exploded in a cloud of notes on the sleek marble. He whipped his hands to his face, and saw his gloves were soaked red with blood. Dumbly staring at his wound, the pain hit him in the chest.

He ground his teeth, wondering where in Nemesis did he get that wound. As he tore off the bloody mess of gloves, small beady drops of blood landed on his files like small insects. Saphir took one look at his hand and groaned when he realized where it came from.

He had been gripping the card so hard, it ripped away his silk gloves and cut into his flesh. A large gash across the palm of hand was bleeding heavily. It ran down his arm and dripped onto the ground in little drops. Saphir's white pants were stained with blood, and he had a wide smudge across his cheek. The passionate anger he once had seemed like years ago. It had drained itself out of his body.

Saphir sucked in his breath. Something made a sound.

Or was it his own imagination? No, it was quite real. It was quiet at first, like the sounds of a wing beat, but got louder and louder. Someone was screaming, screaming his name.

"SAPHIR! SAPHIR! ANSWER ME!" In a horrific second, Saphir realized who was calling his name.

"NI-SAN!" Demando was in trouble.

Saphir tore through his room. He burst open the door, his own voice sounding hysterical.

"NI-SAN!"

He whirled around the hallway, looking for the blinding whiteness of Prince Demando. Instead, he found the endless corridor that led to nothing but darkness.

"SAPHIR!"

His voice sounded so close... too close, as if he was bellowing in his ear. Right next to his ear... Saphir became conscious of the absurdness of the situation. If Prince Demando was in trouble, all the people of Nemesis would sacrifice himself to save his life. Any droid, humanoid, anything would get in the way of the attacker. If Prince Demando had enough time to come dashing to Saphir for help, it must be an illusion.

A vicious illusion.

Right next to his ear. It sounded so close. Saphir blinked.

_Right next to his ear._

Saphir seized the jewel that hung from his earlobe. He yanked them off and sighed in the immediate relief. Demando's voice was gone. At once, Saphir took notice of the earrings. He recalled the day when Demando had commanded him to create a pair of earrings made of black crystal to dramaticly increase his powers to the highest capacity. He had given him shards of black crystal, and Saphir was honored to do so. He had tried on the first pair, and it had given him a headache later that day. He felt a surge of idiotic recklessness when he put them on, and yet he also felt his fingertips tingle with his own dominance. Saphir recalls forming impossible missions, asking for unanswerable questions. He also forgot who and why he made the earrings for in the first place.

He forgot, that is, until Prince Demando himself had surfaced in his work chambers.

Saphir recalls Demando's smile as he walked to his side and put a hand on his shoulder. He would have recoiled at someone reaching over to touch him, but he didn't move a muscle. Instead, he hoped Demando would not feel his trembling.

"You did well, Saphir." He reached his hand out to take a pair from the desk.

Saphir stared at his elder brother put the earrings on. Once the second earring had secured itself, he saw immediate results. Demando's eyes grew large; his pupils shrank down to small dots.

"I can feel it running in my blood." He paced the room, staring at his hands. "It's in my hands, coursing down my legs... I need to..." Demando never finished his sentence. He strode out of Saphir's room, leaving him alone.

Before he could finish his thoughts, a woman turned a corner and saw Saphir standing outside his door in a bloody mess. She shrieked and let dropped the vase she was holding, shattering the delicate pottery and the flower design. Water spilled over his shoes and washed drops of blood off the floor. Flowers crashed onto the ground, ruining their perfection. A huge purple and yellow iris fell on the ground. The petals fell off.

It was in that simple move that Saphir awoke from his daydream.

"Saphir-sama!" the woman squeaked, "Someone heard you shouting in the hallway and sent me to check up on you! I didn't think you'd be all bloodied." She stared at his hand.

Saphir looked up. The woman obviously was frightened by his bedraggled appearance. Looking up at her with blank eyes, he murmured,

"I don't need help. Clean up this mess and leave me be."

Saphir silently picked up the crushed iris. He stroked it with one hand, then carefully set it on the ground.

He then turned and disappeared in a flash of sapphire blue.


	3. The Crescent Moon

Saphir stalked his way in the Nemesis Castle, feeling the grooves of the walls. Some say he is a wandering spirit, haunting the castles and obeying Prince Demando's commands. Some believe he is lying about being the brother of the adored Prince of Nemesis. A handful of humanoids know who he is.

"Saphir-sama," the droid Kowai appeared before him. Saphir turned around to face the droid.

"Kowai?"

Saphir blinked. He reflected engineering this certain droid. Attacking the amygdale, the part of the brain that registers fear, with cell manipulating brain waves is the droid's, Kowai's, unique attack to cripple the most powerful man. Images of gore, snakes, childhood memories, certain time periods of extreme pain, anything that would trigger the initial flight in the acute stress response is the sole purpose of Kowai.

Designing the body of a droid is easier said than done. Saphir labored long nights under the faint glow of crystal lamps to study human anatomy, making it more complex and adding additional organs. Special powers that science couldn't solve were added by the legendary Evil Black Crystal. A sleek humanoid of a woman with locks of lush auburn hair and hard purple eyes added the perfect touch to the finished droid. Clothes were designed by another facility.

"Prince Demando is not pleased with your uncivil appearance last evening."

The corners of Saphir's mouth bent slightly downwards. His casual pose stiffened and he shifted from foot to foot. The thin blue brows furrowed nervously. Saphir hardened his heart, miserably attempting to mentally prepare himself with any more ill words Demando had to say about him. Saphir rubbed the sore spot on his right hand where he had cut himself that fateful night. The wound had been healed by the black crystal, but there was a large card sized scar in the middle of his palm.

"Is there anything else?" The droid squinted at sudden change in the mood.

"Yes. He commands if you embarrass him again by tripping in the castle doing empty headed things, he will not hesitate to replace you." Kowai teasingly set her hands on both of her hips and smirked.

"I suggest, you stay in line and hold yourself together, Saphir-sama." Kowai almost chuckled at herself for addressing someone like Saphir with such a title.

He wouldn't tolerate her with the insulting tone of. Saphir's cool head burned and his temper unexpectedly rose. What right does she have to speak such words to him? _Baka, _he thought. As light and graceful as a cat, he appeared only centimeters away from Kowai. She squeaked and took a step back, but Saphir only grabbed her face and pulled it closer to his so that his forehead was pressed gently against hers. The simple act would be so chilly and lovely if it wasn't for the situation.

For several seconds Saphir did nothing but stared at her with dangerous cobalt eyes while wide-eyed Kowai whimpered and stared back at him full of fear.

"I suggest," he echoed, pronouncing each carefully to catch each syllable, "you show more respect to a Prince of Nemesis," Saphir murmured barely above a whisper.

His breath felt hot against Kowai's tender skin. Her body shook badly, and her knees knocked together. "Your job was to deliver a message from Prince Demando to me. I don't think that my brother would send you here to taunt me with your words of little meaning."

Saphir's eyes remained blank and emotionless. He continued to look at her eyes. Tears escaped and dripped onto his hands. His voice was so quiet and sounded so casual.

"For that, Kowai, you will pay the price of _your _empty-headed actions."

His hands grew unbearably hot. Kowai yelped and attempted to escape his grasp.

"No, Saphir-sama, please, I beg of you…let me go, please…" she whimpered. She weakly tried to scratch his face with her nails, but Saphir only held her hand away.

A pang of guilt hit him in the chest. His eyebrows softened and the bristling hair on the back of his neck flattened down. How did he lose his temper with someone as foolish and despicable as Kowai? He loosened his grip and let her face go. She fell to the ground, clutching her neck and sucking in air. Saphir meekly took a glance at her face.

There were burn marks on her cheeks and running down her neck where his palms had been. Her eyes were wide with fear and surprise. The dress was now smudged with the constant layer of dust that Nemesis always seemed to carry. Saphir looked away so he wouldn't have to stare at those eyes.

"You are dismissed."

Saphir stood there resting his hands on the walls as Kowai scampered her way somewhere in the distance. He rubbed his temples, temped to start drifting again in his own thoughts.

"How did I lose my head so easily?" he mumbled. The pitiful croaks that Kowai chocked out burned in his eyes like the ones he put on her neck.

As Saphir pushed his long blue bangs back, his hand slid over his black moon clan symbol that embedded itself into his forehead. Touching it sent a cold shiver down his body. He almost forgot it was there. His obstinate hair settled back down on his forehead and into his eyes, covering the thin crescent moon with a light wash of blue.

Something didn't feel right. Maybe it was the cold atmosphere after Kowai had left, probably screaming to fellow droids about Sapir's flashing temper and the captivating way he expressed it. Maybe it was the crescent moon, the way it sent cold shudders down his body, somehow reminding him of Wiseman.

That's right. He forgot.

He was just heading to talk to Demando about his suspicion for Wiseman.


	4. Confronting Demando

_It's time. I'm got to go and tell Ni-san about my suspicions for Wiseman. I need to have the courage to speak up. He's going to find out, I know it. I just have to…_

Do what? Saphir didn't know what he had to do. In his heart, he knew Wiseman would know one way or another of his suspicions for him. The energy built up inside him was too much. Saphir started making his way to Demando's throne room.

As Saphir tried to teleport to his destination, he was continually being rejected. Probably, Prince Demando was meeting with someone. He had to wait his turn. _Darn._

When Saphir appeared before the throne of Prince Demando, there was a chilly atmosphere left behind. He squinted when he saw his brother's face staring blankly at his closed fist with a satisfied smile. _Good new, perhaps. _

"Ni-san."

Prince Demando snapped out of his pleased expression. He looked up to the sound of his younger brother's voice, his eyes questioning as if asking, _Saphir?_

"You should be wary of Wiseman." There was no time to be wasted with long explanations.

Prince Demando only kept looking in Saphir's direction. His expression didn't change from those questioning eyes, still inquiring Saphir's phrase. He took a short breath and continued, looking serious,

"Wiseman used Esmeraude. That's why she died," Saphir paused to see Demando's reaction. There was no recognizable change, but Prince Demando seemed more alert. "I just couldn't help but think of that."

Demando turned his body so he was facing him. Now he was giving Saphir his full attention, looking directly at his face and leaning toward him.

"Used her?" he mused, "Ridiculous. Because of the people of earth, we had no choice but to live on this desolate place."

There was bitterness in his voice. His eyes reduced to slits and clenched one fist together. Prince Demando looked away from Saphir. His lavender eyes seemed staring at something far and untangble. When he spoke again it was harsh and brimming with loathing.

"If I can wreak my revenge of them… I will not begrudge the loss of life, no matter _whose _it is!"

Taken aback at such an answer, Saphir fidgeted and took one step forward with care. He said with an urgent edge to his voice,

"But my Prince," this time Saphir walked toward Demando, catching his attention and forcing him to look his way. "There are many aspects of Wiseman that cannot be trusted."

Demando only looked amused at such comical words. He chuckled and said, "That is only nonsensical." Demando looked smug as he talked with his brother. "Wiseman has provided much information, and not only that, the energy of the Black Crystal."

Saphir chocked when he heard Demando mention the black crystal. Remembering the earrings and what senseless things it did to him, he anxiously cried out,

"Prince Demadno, the black cry-"

"Saphir, tell me, if I cannot trust Wiseman, then who can I trust?" He interrupted. Something was stuck in Saphir's throat.

"Look at this, Saphir."

Saphir could only tightly turn to face the holographic image. Four breath-taking Sailor Senshis held hands around the Silver Crystal, guarding with their life energy. Their faces looked strained and their knees shook, as if they had been standing there for hours without stopping. Beads of sweat trickled down their face and neck. The light that made its way surrounding the crystal was glowing ever so brightly. It was obvious they were going to stand there for a long time.

"Those four Sailor Senshi are doggedly interfering with our attack." Demando muttered painfully. "We'll never get anywhere at this rate.

"In order to take over Crystal Tokyo, we are better off destroying the world of the past." Prince Demando abruptly stood up from his throne. He turned Saphir's direction so they were face to face.

"I will travel back in time and establish the dark gate with Black Lady."

There was a welcoming smile on his face mingled with a hint of desire. Saphir only stared back perplexedly.  
What Demando did next was so unexpected Saphir only planted his feet to the ground and froze up his body. Lightly chuckling, Prince Demando gently pushed Saphir's dark hair to the side. He touched the Dark Moon Clan symbol embedded on Saphir's forehead. Saphir only stared when Demando smirked and murmured quietly,

"So Saphir, protect the reacter and increase the Evil Black Crystal's energy."

Saphir blinked and took in the situation. His brother had stroked his hair and touched him. He was talking lovingly and quietly like he used to. He was smiling at him. The world was not all quite right at the moment, but that didn't matter. He opened them again and fixed his eyes on the soft lavender flowers adoringly.

"Ni-san…" he mumbled, not sure what was going on.

"Do you understand?" Demando's voice was so affectionate and silky. It ran down his body in trembles. Saphir wished he could cling on this moment.


	5. The Faults of Saphir

As Saphir left to protect the reactor, he tumbled around the castle, getting lost in a maze of hallways and empty rooms. For a moment, he had forgotten his order from Demando and wandered dizzily in Nemesis Castle as if in a dream. Saphir had on a dazed expression while he finally reached the room.

_My brother… he touched me. He spoke to me. I should have never doubted him._

Bizarre thoughts floated in Saphir's mind as he appeared in the room where the black crystal was resting. In a mechanical like way, he lifted his hands where the reactor lay hidden in the ground. The reactor drifted up into his hands, where he caught them. It rested there, vibrating with life and humming with energy. A dim glow emitted from the reactor.

Even through his glove, Saphir could feel something alien and foreign on the unusual liquid surface. The reactor was sticky and bits of something hard and black clumped onto his glove. Startled, he flicked his eyes to the hand that gripped the reactor. They widened in surprise and his pupils reduced to small dots in a cerulean ocean. There, not yet completely dried, was his blood from a few nights ago.

The bare sight of his dried blood left him in a state of shock. For several seconds, Saphir stood there looking at the reactor, stained with dark smears and smudges. His gaze never flashed away as he stood there with his mouth slightly open. Saphir felt his hand tingle. What little color left in his face drained away as he snapped out of the daydream. Inhaling sharply, he carefully set the reactor back into the marble.

Taking slow steps away from the reactor, he slumped to the ground. His head was pounding in his ears; there was a high pitched sound somewhere in the distance.

_You idiot, Saphir._

He held his aching head in his arms, careful not to touch it with his gloves. Saphir took a glance at his hands stained with the same blood from that night when he discovered the real truth of the black crystal. Sickened, he flung them away revealing his unnaturally pale hands. Thin blue veins crawled their way around his wrist and fingers.

_I missed my chance. I missed it! I should've told him my thoughts about Wiseman, about the black crystal. Now Prince Demando knows absolutely _nothing_ about him. It's my fault._

Grinding his teeth together, Saphir shut his eyes tightly closed and prepared himself for the blow.

_It's my own stupid fault that I fell for his trickery!_

This was really too much for him to stand. After all, he had thoroughly enjoyed that moment with his brother, even if it wasn't honest. Screaming behind clenched teeth in frustration at his own feeble courage, Saphir jumped up and grabbed the reactor still buzzing care freely before him. Mumbling sourly to himself, Saphir said,

"I remember _now_ what Ni-san had asked me to do. 'Protect the reactor and increase the energy.'"

Disgusted and fed up with himself, Saphir scoffed at the reactor. He lightly tapped the reactor with his index finger and watched as the reactor radiated a soft orange glow. The black crystal also emitted a dull light. Ripples of power circled the crystal as the pace of its growth quickened to a supernatural speed. The temperature of the room grew noticeably warm as the Black Crystal burst with energy.

The final action he was commanded to do was to protect the black crystal. _From who? _He pondered. None the less, Saphir summoned a droid to his feet.

"Wana Hime, appear before your master."

A flash of silver filled the room with light. A single droid appeared kneeling on the floor. Long curly hair that curled around her shoulders and menacing amber eyes focused on Saphir. Chains wrapped around her legs and arms served as weapons to wrap around the victim. A cute, red mini skirt and a metal breast plate completed her outfit. She could take on several challengers.

"Saphir-sama, I am at your command."

Saphir scowled. Something wasn't right with her tone of voice. It was too stiff and mechanical, unlike the girly and casual voice he had designed her to have. _Kowai had been spreading stories._ It must have caught on like wild fire if it had reached a droid of Wana Hime's status. Her eyes, almost always fearless, had a hint of sheepishness in them. The way Wana Hime kneeled down on her hands and knees gave it away. Saphir's droids addressed him formally, but not to the extent where they honored him, although they should.

Wana Hime flinched when Saphir frowned at her. Saphir furrowed his brows. Closing his eyes and using one hand to rub his temples, he snapped at her irritably,

"Wana Hime, I order you to protect the black crystal. Do not let anyone outside of the Castle of Nemesis to enter. Understood?"

"Yes."

Saphir turned his back toward her. "Good."

He vanished and left her alone.

To Saphir, he would have preferred to put two droids at the scene to fully secure the black crystal. After all the deaths of his beloved creations due to the Sailor Senshis, Saphir found himself constantly brewing up new droids to replace the dead ones. Rebus had asked him for a whole army of his creations, and painfully, Saphir couldn't object. Ultimately, Rebus had lost all of the droids, the four Ayakashi Sisters, and his own life. The new struggle to kill the Sailor Senshi and capture Sailor Moon's, or maybe we should call her Neo Queen Serenity, heart is leading Saphir into a chaotic mess where nothing makes total sense.

Now that Prince Demando's command had been done, Saphir had all the time to think about his meeting with his brother.

It was pathetic, how easily Saphir's attempt to talk to Demando slipped out of his mind when he made that simple gesture of affection. His heart being deprived from Demando's brotherly love had used that moment to thirstily suck it in before he was sent away.

Sapihr's mind raced with thoughts. His pace quickened, his expression looking flustered. Almost embarrassed at his actions, Saphir burst into his room. With a few long strides, he made it to the center of the room. The slam of the door echoed around his crystal walls. He stood there.

A minute passed.

_What happened? How did I, at the most crucial moment, lose myself in my brother's presence?_

Two minutes passed.

"What am I doing?" he blurted. "I'm in panic, pitying myself. I'm wasting my time."

Saphir whirled around and opened a cabinet. He searched out a new pair of unused sapphire gloves. Saphir tugged them on, pulling hard onto his hands.

He turned and started striding toward his desk. With one arm, he swept a large portion of the paper of the desk to revel a rich and lush looking mahogany wood table. He blindly snatched a piece of paper. A pencil instinctively appeared in his hands.

With a wild look in his eyes, Saphir scribbled madly down his brainstorming. Unidentifiable words streaked across the page blank page. The sound of scribbling filled the room. Saphir madly continued to process his ideas into paper. It was only minutes before Saphir finished his notes with one overly dramatic period at the end of the page that only ended up to snap the tip in half. His chesting rising up and down, he grabbed the paper and burned it with his hands. A cold blue fire rose up into flames and licked the paper. Saphir crushed it with his fist. When it he opened his palm no ashes remained.

He had burned the writings into his memory.

"I know I'm going to die, just like Esmeraude and Rebus. I know I'm eventually going to be killed by Wiseman, but I won't leave Ni-san alone to face him like that. I got to do something. I can't just stand to see Wiseman use us like that."

A shadow covered Saphir's eyes as he lowered his head. He closed them shut tightly. A wind whirled around his knees, fluttering his pant legs. His hair whipped back, reveling the mark of the black moon clan.

When they reopened, they were fearful and determined. Papers flew around his room, which now became a brewing storm. His hands trembled, but he stood there tall and sturdily.

"I need to get rid of Wiseman. But I have no power to kill him. The only thing I can do is convince Demando to banish him from Nemesis, and that I've failed to do. I can't mess up this time."

Saphir tore through his room, leaving behind the howling wind he had made. Halfway to his door, he disappeared in a bright blue flame.


	6. Wiseman's Corruptions

Demando sat cross-legged in his blinding white marble chair. He leaned on one arm and resting the other in his lap. Thin waves of chalky hair covered his pale purple eyes. There was no expression on his face what so ever. Demando was a picture of relaxation.

Yet his eye brows furrowed sending a small crease in his forehead. The lavenders flicked across the room, searching for something, looking for someone. Like a cricket, they leaped from place to place, probing, seeking, and searching.

_Saphir has been gone for a while…_

Demando pondered the idea. _Where has the mad scientist gone this time? _Demando silently mused to himself. Flicking away a stray stand of hair, he shifted his position. Saphir's presence have been absent for several days now. Like a ghost, he had drifted somewhere within the Castle of Nemesis. Not once in those many days had he shown corners of his mouth slightly bent down.

This was out of the ordinary. Demando's eyes narrowed into slits. Saphir has been acting strangely, for these past few weeks. The awkward scene he made that fateful night, covered in blood. Daring to show up in his throne room to discuss the matter of his wariness of Wiseman. What a fool! Who would doubt the way Wiseman worked? Yes, it is curious the way he seems to know _everything _about _anything, _but he has been an ally to the Prince all this time. There is no chance that such a possible variable may exist.

Right?

Demando rubbed his temples. His head was throbbing and his body was aching. Lately, dark circles have been appearing under his eyes. His own fatigueness had begun creeping onto him, wrapping around his body and beating upon his skull. While the arms of the night crushed his heath, he would peek through the chocking blackness to gaze upon the portrait of Neo Queen. It was at these hours that Saphir would come and protect him from the arms.

Many nights now Saphir had not showed up to guard him. The monster has been coming back each day, coming closer, beating him over the head and suffocating him. The black arms that resemble the great sea monsters of Nemesis smudged the portrait of Neo Queen Serenity, and Demando could do nothing about it. 

He closed his eyes, bitterly agenizing the idiot deaths of the Black Moon Clan.

_Why are my subjects so unbearably ridiculous? Rebus, the four Ayakashi sisters are less than dead, Esmeraude…_

He blinked. Her name had an unearthly ring to it. Demando looked up, as if there was someone tapping him on the shoulder. Something with Esmeraude distinguished her from all the other deaths. How could he not remember? Demando racked his memory, but miserably gave up. There was a slight ring in his ears, but Demando was too caught in his own thoughts to notice it.

Demando once again slithered into a daydream to escape the unbearable reality. There he imagined the delicate craft of the Queen, much resembling the iced flowers of earth. The suger crystals glowing softly in the dim light, Demando had only seen them once and he had remembered them in exact detail, just like the way he had remembered Serenity. 

Scraggly Demando, bedraggled Prince Demando, was falling to pieces without his brother at his side.

There was a glowing light in the distance.

Demando looked up, only moving his eyes. Anticipation built up inside him, his body stiffened and the grip on his arm rest tightened. He fixated his gaze unto the glowing light in the corner. Someone was appearing before him.

A voice, one that seemed teeming with age, spoke. It made the walls tremble and the air tight. Shards of crystal flew blew away.

"Prince Demando, with each passing night you grow restless." Demando only disappointedly raises an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he mumbles.

There were a few moments of silence between the two. Wiseman circled the orb in his hands.

"Saphir grows wary of you," said Wiseman.

With this, Demando sucks in his breath. His muscles quivering, Demando grips his arm rest and lunges his body forward. The lavender flowers blossom, leering into the eternal darkness underneath his hood. His thoughts race through his mind. _What does he know about Saphir? What has he been doing?_

"Saphir? What of me is he displeased with?" Demando fervently asked. He broke out in cold sweat. Demando slumps back again, only this time he hung his head shamefully down. He stared at the ground while holding his forehead with one hand. The weight of his responsibility seemed to grow overwhelming. On his shoulders they rested, all alone in the darkness.

Wiseman only remained quiet at Demando's reaction.

"Saphir has his moments of doubt for you. He asks questions and consults you with false ideas."

Demando recalls Saphir's serious expression, the strange things he has been telling him that fateful night. Is it true that he is cautious of him? Demando felt his own doubt settle in a coil in a hard pit in his stomach. His eyebrows furrowed and he glared at his shoes.

If someone was in his way of getting what he wanted, Demando, quoting from earlier, he would not hesitate to replace them. He scowled. There was something else though, a vague feeling. Demando have not been giving his full trust to Wiseman. Although Wiseman had obtained the Black Lady, there was also something eerie about the way he seemed to know things. The way he sensed Demando uneasiness, or maybe it was obvious.

And would replacing Saphir make him happy? Demando struggled in making the right decision. _Wiseman is only giving me warnings, _Demando brooded. _I will not heed them unless Saphir himself exclaims his treason loud and clear to me in any fashion. Only then I will commit the act of execution. _

_ That's right, that's what I got to do. Yeah. I'm good with that._

_ Saphir you better not be thinking what Wiseman says you are. Please, I'm begging you…_

_ I can't have you killed, I need you. _


	7. Sinister Desires

In the darkness, a lonely figure hunched over on the ground. Nothing could be seen except for two electric blue eyes stalking the black. A gray mist settled in the room from the open window. Saphir wasn't seen for days. In that forgotten prison, Saphir had reflected upon his life before the arrival of his end.

"_What sinister desires we have,"_ It was a quiet exclamation; one would not notice it in a haze of words. It could not compare the famous and honorable quotes said by the high kings and queens of Nemesis that lead the Black Moon Clan into victory from the hundred year wars. It could not compare to any earthly words said by anyone.

Yet it was subtle, and it was out there. The message stood out. It wasn't there to encourage a soul or to inspire one with passionate fire. More so, it was a lone spirit staring sadly at you with cold gray eyes. _What sinister desires we have, _it would say.

Saphir ran one hand through his thick hair. It was clumped in places and tugged at his hand. He touched his black crescent moon. It would have sent cold shivers down his body if he wasn't already chilled to the marrow of his bone.

_Demando with his obsession for Neo Queen Serenity, his passionate love. How he had wanted to sick himself onto her, make her his glory. Gaze into those cold eyes that would never love him. Be one with her body. Why her? _

_Wiseman. My uncertainness for his intensions. Something nightmarish dwelling underneath his hood. Using Esmeraude, using _us _for him. It's sick, it really is. _

_Even I have my own sinister desire. _He smirked and caught himself before thinking shameful thoughts._ That would remain a secret for now. _

He coldheartedly rose from the damp marble. Making his way across the cell, a gleam of silver caught his eye. What was that? He looked down. There was something white and swirly underneath years of grime. With one hand, he wiped the dust and bones off.

A pang of hurt tore his chest when he saw what it was. _Even in a forgotten prison, Demando had renovated it to match Serenity's liking. _The white, smooth surface looked out of place in that desolate cell. Long streaks of dried blood had trickled down the cement walls. It stained the perfection of the marble. It felt foreign to him, just like every change Demando had made to please his Queen. The floor had cracked in places; a skinny finger across the white tile. The stench of death filled Saphir's lungs, his eyes, throat, mouth, his heart.

How he hated Sailor Moon for replacing his spot in the Prince's heart. _How he hated her! _He clutched his chest and slumped down once again to the floor. Saphir shut his eyes tightly. His hands shook and his body trembled. Saphir's chest rose heavily rose up and down. The only sounds to be heard were his scratchy breath breathing in and breathing out.

Esmeraude never understood why Saphir had despised Sailor Moon so much. It wasn't her little girl obsession that Saphir could connect to, it was deeper than that.

How could she relate to his love for Demando? She had no siblings, and her parents lived a ripe age. To her, he was merely a body. To Saphir, it wasn't Demando's body he was craving for. It was his heart.

No one could understand him. Not one person in Nemesis really knew why Saphir had gone to certain extents for his brother. After all, Nemesis is a cold planet. There was lust but no love. Saphir himself couldn't put in words what was happening.

Then why had his brother forgotten him?

He had become still. He shook his head rigorously, waving that sapphire mane of his.

_Now is not the time to be thinking about that. _

He stood and took a step forward. Something brittle crushed underneath his feet. Looking down in surprise, a fragment of bone stuck out from under his shoe.

_Someone had died here, _Saphir thought. He mechanically turned to inspect the cell for the first time.

There was no body. Whoever died was taken away a long time ago, yet the odor strongly lingered. Saphir wrinkled his nose. Where was he? How did he end up here of all places?

He had to get out of here. Saphir couldn't stand another second of that wretched place. He checked the time. It was almost midday and outside looked so dark. What is wrong with Nemesis? Saphir stormed out of the cell, heading for Wiseman's chambers.


	8. Whispering Rumors

The arms came back again, only not for Demando. They stalked him, watching him, never letting him rest. The arms would slither down the walls, touching him. How Saphir hated being touched. They would whisper secrets to him, things he did not want to know. He shut his eyes. _Go away. _Saphir quietly walked down the hall. His shoes made no sound as they marched in a straight line. Those blue were full of agony, as if he was in physical pain. It was depressing the way he held himself, lowering his beautiful head and covering his eyes in a shadow.

He stopped. Saphir took a deep breath, but found no relief. He sucked in a mouth full of muffled, chocking air. The voices cackled at his demise from underneath his feet. The squirmed out and licked his body like fire. Into his eyes, his mouth, into his body they went. The arms have never done anything like this before. Saphir suddenly was drowned in fear. He couldn't breathe, they were strangling him. Their fingers were cold, chilling him. They felt him, leeching his warmth. Terrified, he yelped and slammed into a solid wall.

It knocked the wind out of his body. Crashing his head against the cement, it left stars dancing in his eyes. The arms shrieked and leaped out of his body in surprise. Winded and dazed, Saphir stared at the arms squirming at his feet.

_Saphir, you are so pitiful. Easily frightened, weak, you should never have been born._

Saphir paused. There was that voice again. The arms were hissing in his ear, whispering.

_You think Prince Demando actually cares about you? Do you really believe that you are more to him than a servant?_

He remained slient.

_Well here's the deal. You are nothing. When the time comes, Demando will ignore you. He won't heed your warnings, and you will die. Wiseman will kill you. You are wasting your breath, Saphir._

_No. I am not._

_ Yes, _the voice cackled. _You are._

Rage built up inside him. Saphir is not one that loses himself with others, except for his own conscious. _Why am I so messed up? _He hugged his chest, squeezing it to try to comfort himself. His eyes grew misty and glittered in the light. Saphir has been in a dark mood lately, quietly building droids and inventing new things for the Black Moon Clan, or what is left of it. He looked up now, staring down the black arms that swished around his feet. Saphir said through gritted teeth,

"Go, _away."_

The arms chattered and clacked their pinchers together, nipping his pant legs. They taunted him, laughed at him. They twirled and brushed his cheek. Saphir growled at the shadow and blasted it with his hand. The twittering grew alarming and they circled him. The sound grew louder until the chattering became blood piercing screams.

_We will never be too far away from you, Saphir. _The sound grew fainter as the the arms soundlessly retreated. _You can't hide from us… Saphir._

Saphir grew pale. He ground his teeth together. The arms had left him an empy feeling, sucking out his insides and replacing them with voids and voids of darkness. Somehow, this reminded him of Wiseman, the emptiness inside his hood. Saphir wondered if this was how became who he is. How he longed he could hole up somewhere, run away from the voices, the arms. His voice wavered; his breaths were short and raspy.

"Why," Saphir whimpered, "am I cursed with such a-" Saphir never did finish his sentence.

Something had just briefly brushed his shoulder. Saphir froze up his body. No one was allowed to touch him, not unless it was his brother or if he touched someone. Bristling with anxiety, Saphir whirled around to face who ever dared to graze him.

"Who's there?!"

Silence followed. Saphir backed up against the wall with a wild look in his eyes. They flicked around the empty hallway, tortured with the thought of it coming back, being tangible.

_He's tormenting me, he knows I'm on to him. It's just a game, he want me to break… _Saphir reassured exhaled deeply, closing his eyes. _It's all just a game. _He turned around. _Just a game…_

Saphir felt large hands clamp onto his shoulder.

Stunned, Saphir stood there, mouth hanging open.

"I've been looking for you, my brother," a soft voice murmured in his ear.

A few seconds passed, and Saphir could only take in the feeling of those hands resting on his shoulders. How warm they felt! It filled up his insides with heat that replaced the cold blue darkness inside him. He shifted his eyes up, meeting with the lavender flowers staring adoringly back at him. _It was the Prince. _

"Ni-san!" Saphir cried out. He attempted to take a step backward, but Demando dug his nails into his flesh and pulled him closer to his face so that Saphir could feel his hot breath brush against his cheek. Demando's eyes were full of suspicion and concern. Saphir was blushing furiously, goggling at his brother, wondering what was going on.

"Listen Saphir," Demando purred. "There's been a rumor going around."

Saphir cemented himself to the ground. _Rumors? About what? _Demando looked at the ground and took a step closer.

"You've been gone for days, not showing up when needed at times." Demando spoke barely above a whisper, still keeping his hands firmly on Saphir's shoulder to as if to prevent him from slipping away. Not like he would.

"I needed to talk to you about this, alone." Saphir stared at him. "That's why I found you here.

"The rumors… people have been whispering about your absurd behaviors. I don't know what you've been doing, but word has been spreading you're not completely sane."

Saphir remained still.

"I know you, Saphir. This isn't like you to act this way." Demando peered at his brother, as if asking _what's going on? _Saphir couldn't choke anything up. How could he not? Even at such a crucial time as this, where he was all alone with Demando, Saphir couldn't find the courage to talk.

"Ni-san, I-" Demando put two fingers on Saphir's lips. His face was only inches away from his, and the heat of Demando's body was radiating off of him. Prince Demando had gently pressed his crescent moon against Saphir's. He was now combing his fingers through his hair, pulling it back so that Saphir's thick mane would not bother his eyes. His words ran down in body in trembles. Blown away, Saphir held his breath in and shook before his brother.

This wasn't right. What was Demando doing? Yet Saphir gulped it thirstily down, taking shaky breaths and relaxed his sore muscles.

"I'm not finished," he crooned in his ear. "I've been told… you have plans against me." Saphir opened his mouth in shock. Did he just hear what he thought he heard?

"I've been told that you doubt me, that you've been plotting against me." Demando's voice was brimming with hurt. His face remained as white as a sheet and as blank as one.

_He knows._

The little blood left in his face drained of color at once. Saphir broke out in cold sweat, straining to keep his scream in. Demando felt the tension in the air rising like a wave. It washed over them, pounding against the shore and splitting against the smooth rocks.

_Wiseman knows my secrets. He knows I'm trying to get rid of him. He's corrupted my brother._

Saphir yelped and twisted away from Demando's loving grasp. His breathing was uneven, rasping in and out of his lungs. He's had enough of this, enough of Wiseman's tricks. Saphir had a crazed look in his face, looking at Demando in fear.

Demando only stared back at him in pain. Saphir shook his head slowly, and then breaking out in a full sprint down the hall, disappearing into the dark.

Demando made no move to stop him. His heart shrinking back in rejection, he turned and vanished.

_So it's true, Saphir. The rumors really are true. _


	9. Blue Fire

"Oh nothingness, oh Silence," Wiseman chanted. He gently held a blue fire in his hands, cradling it. Chuckling, he messed with the fire, spinning it and tossing it back and forth as if it was a play thing. The fire flickered and danced in his hands, at times nearly blowing out.

The atmosphere was cold. Not just cold, frigid. Saphir stood, his back facing a enormous stone collum, spying on Wiseman. It haunted Saphir, swirling around his legs and forming into unearthly shapes. He stopped. Saphir felt the blood drain from his stomach and into his legs. He swore he just saw a hand shooting out of the cold, grabbing on to his pant leg. He stared frightfully back at it. A pair of hands grabbed his shoes. It seemed all too familiar. Yes, he knew what they were.

Saphir covered his mouth to stifle a scream. It was back, the arms, the fingers, the hands, they all came back to get him. _We will never be too far away from you, Saphir. _ They daunted him, clawing at his shoes, wrapping their fingers around his neck. They moved up and down his spine, resting their palms on chest, feeding off his body.

The arms knew Saphir's greatest fear; it was contact on his body, and they took advantage of it. He wanted to bolt, get out of there. His whole life, he had acted rashly against skin contact, especially after those gruesome nights with those people in his childhood. His leg muscles were straining to go, to run away. But like his childhood, he could do nothing but stand there helplessly as they touched him. Any moment he might snap and tear out of there.

"Heh heh heh heh," laughed Wiseman. He continued toying with the fire, running his long fingers through it, cupping it shut.

"Your fire is almost out, Saphir."

Saphir halted. _My fire? _He cocked his head slightly to the right, just enough to see the silhouette of Wiseman cradling a soft blue ember in his hands. _That's my fire? _

_ And Wiseman has it. _

A finger traced across his cheek, but Saphir paid no heed to it.

"Hmp," said Wiseman. "Obey me; swear your allegiance to the all knowing, almighty _death phantom_."

_Death Phantom._

Wiseman's eyes flashed blinding white. Like a camera, they flickered and illuminated the whole room. The room was dark, except for the

glare of his eyes and the glowing embers he continued to toil with. With each touch Wiseman set on the embers, Saphir felt cold arms wrapping around him and fingering his ribs. _Not again._

_That fire, _Saphir's hair stood up in horror. He was too afraid to move. _Is me! The fingers rubbing me is Wiseman playing with that fire, messing with my head._

"Know that the one who will rule this universe," he paused to take a breath, "is not Demando who dreams ephemeral dreams, but Death Phantom who posses _ultimate _power."

Saphir had turned his body now, watching Wiseman in fear. _And all this time, _Saphir thought, _Ni-san had thought Wiseman was helping him. _Saphir clenched his fist together in rage. _I can't believe this is really happening. _

"Oh, foolish Prince Demando," Wiseman said sarcasticly, "Create a disturbance for the sake of silence, and present chaotic nothingness to Death Phantom, the Supreme ruler of the world!"

The orb within his hands began to glow, sending sparks in all directions. The smell of fire and ozone mixed together in a nose wrinkling odor. Lightning struck the marble, sending a smoking black crater in Serenity's favorite stone. A spectrum of color swirled around the orb. Saphir could almost see the world flash before him. Cars running down the street, Crystal Tokyo gleaming under the moonlight, endless battles with the Sailor Senshis, and the end. The Silence. The peace.

Wiseman whipped his orb up in front of his face, cackling mad with laughter.

"Eradicate all impure things such as life form from the universe!"

Saphir's had enough of this. Sweat has been building up on his face. He turned and swished his sparkling hair out of his eyes. A bead of sweat flew in the air_. _Saphir watched, as if in slow motion, the drop fall to the ground and crash in a nearly silent drip.

That one move gave his position away.

Wiseman looked up. Saphir paniced, and he attempted to escape the room. Imagine the horror he had when Wiseman whirled around and Saphir caught a glimpse of his face. The moldering flesh on the bleached white skull stared at him with empty eye sockets. They flashed, as if taking a picture and engraving it into his memory. He disappeared in a flicker of blue flames.


End file.
